Aspire News: June 2021

Safety First! All of us at Aspire are excited about resuming classes in person in September. We look forward to welcoming back those students and volunteers who were unable to pivot to online learning these past 15 months. We’re also excited to continue online learning and are especially grateful to the many new volunteer teachers who joined us in 2020 who live outside north Texas...Read More

How the Impact of Giving Changes Lives

YOUR GIFT TO THE ANNUAL FUND IS AN INVESTMENT IN OUR STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES, AND A BETTER FUTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. At the close of the spring semester, the excitement of returning to in-person classes for the fall has our staff feverously working to ensure a seamless transition. The past year was a challenge, but our staff, volunteers, and students embraced the “new normal” and worked hard to fulfill the promise of our mission. This year of lockdowns has also created a greater need for Aspire's services to families in need. As a result, our responsibility to build a solid financial foundation is now as crucial as ever. It’s easy to take reading and writing for granted. Whether reading a street sign, understanding a label on a medicine bottle, or writing down directions for a friend, few of us consider what it takes to read and write with ease. But for the 1 in 4 adults in Dallas experiencing low-literacy, ordinary tasks like these are exhausting. PLEASE CONSIDER MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS BY JOINING WITH OTHERS TO MAKE A GIFT IN SUPPORT OF OUR MISSION. As our number grows every year, it’s vital that we improve adult learning and honor the value literacy brings to our communities. The more confidence our neighbors have in navigating the world around them, the stronger and healthier our whole community will be. YES! I want to support Aspire and turn obstacles into opportunities! - Paul DiBiase Chief Development Officer

Student Spotlight Maria grew up on a small ranch in Hidalgo, Mexico with parents who always encouraged her to go to school. Despite their financial struggles, Maria’s father managed to enroll her in a boarding school in the fifth grade and told Maria, “I may not give you luxuries, but I will always give you school.” Maria enjoyed learning but had to pause her education when she migrated to the United States in 1986. Not knowing any English and working two jobs, Maria often thought about her father’s efforts and wish for her to finish her education. Maria enrolled in Aspire’s ESL and GED preparation classes in spring 2021...Read More

Volunteer Spotlight As a passionate learner and supporter of others, Yvonne Howard was moved by Aspire’s mission and recognized that she could use her skills to support our programs. Yvonne grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and has lived in the Midwest (Illinois—where she and her husband lived for more than twenty-three years) as well as Colorado before moving to Dallas, two and a half years ago. She received her Master’s in Counseling and became a licensed therapist. Yvonne consulted for various organizations and served as an adjunct faculty member for Bradley University. In her role at Bradley she realized how the exchanges and mutual learning enjoyed by her and her adult students...Read More

Dr. Linda K. Johnson Aspire President and CEO “A lifetime of learning helps us give the best of ourselves to our communities.”

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